The Pistons head to the West Coast this weekend battered and bruised, yet still feeling very good about themselves.
They carry a six-game winning streak into their second and final West Coast swing of the season, which begins in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon against the Clippers. They will also match up against playoff contenders Portland, Denver and Utah before returning home.
“I think we play a lot better against the tough teams,” Allen Iverson said. “That’s the positive thing.”
The bad thing is that the Pistons never win on Sunday and never beat Utah - or so it seems. They'll be lucky to 2-2 on this trip, especially with three regulars possibly missing part or all of the trip.
“We’ve been good on the road,” head coach Michael Curry said. “The last time we went West, we played well but we have some different teams this time.”
Richard Hamilton has missed four consecutive games with a strained left groin. He's the biggest question mark.
“Hopefully, Rip has turned the corner,” Curry said. “It’s starting to heal up. He did extra work after practice but with a muscle, it’s not when you’re doing the workout, it’s how they feel the next day or later on.”
Rasheed Wallace (sore right foot) and Antonio McDyess (sore ribs) sat out the team’s home victory over Sacramento on Friday night. Curry is also hopeful they’ll be able to play by Wednesday's game in Portland.
With Rodney Stuckey playing like a superstar, the Pistons have made up for Hamilton’s absence. The team is also defending better by using fewer three-guard lineups. Their last four opponents have shot 35.4 percent from the field.
“We’re starting to feel real good as a team,” Allen iverson said. “We’re starting to have the confidence and that swagger since the trade first happened. We didn’t have that feeling at first.”
They might not be feeling so giddy a week from now.